Fluke, blues still lingering throughout area waters
Ron Nuzzolo
Fish On

Aboard the Prowler 5 out of Atlantic Highlands Capt. Scott has been keeping anglers busy. Magic hours for night blues have been an all out slaughter. Fish are in the 6- to 12-pound range. Mark, Frank and Mike were busy all night gaffing fish. The pool winner was 12 pounds, caught by John Macchiarello of Elmwood Park. Don Spur of Keyport caught 30 himself, releasing 15 of them.

Ambrose Channel continues to produce good fluke fishing. Capt. Nick from www.NJSaltwaterfisherman.com, aboard the Luna Sea, was able to put six keepers in the box topping it with an 11-pound doormat.

Raritan Bay reports have been slow with few keeper fluke and small bluefish patrolling the bunker pods. Reports of weakfish have also been spotty in the Back Bay. Most anglers are moving into deeper, cooler waters outside the hook for more action.

Capt. Steve on Reelfantasea out of Barnegat Light has had a solid two weeks in the bay where the weakfish are on fire. Grass shrimping and jigging, blues, fluke, hickory shad, blowfish and kingfish just to name a few species in the bay this time of year. For the best bay fishing New Jersey has to offer, contact Capt. Steve at reelfantasea@comcast.net.

Offshore, the Renegade chartered a trip for tuna and had a triple play of tuna, mahi-mahi and a monster hammerhead shark that was estimated at 300 pounds, then released.

Renegade hosted the Steve Filippi charter from Hybridge for a Saturday/Sunday overnighter. They made it to the Lindenchol Canyon. After a five-hour ride in some steep troughs, at around 10 p.m. a 50TW reel nearly got spooled. After a 45-minute tough battle, Bill Anderson gets the fish up, a 300-pound scalloped hammerhead that was released after an awesome battle on 60-pound test. Schools of large squid showed up for a while eating small anchovies and sardines. Then at 2:30 a.m. the lines were singing as they picked up the first yellow fin tuna and picked up eight more through the night from 40 to 80 pounds. All tuna were caught on squid and sardines. In the morning they also picked up six mahi-mahi before heading home. Renegade will be hosting charter and open boat Canyon trips until mid-December. For details and dates, call Capt Mike at (732) 718-8339 or send an e-mail through the site; www.renegadesportfishing.net.

In the next few weeks the canyon reports will be coming in with amazing stories to tell so please keep those reports and fishing recipes coming to ron@signbrothers.com.

Family Event

Learn to surf and hang 10 with Spellbinders Surf Shop's professional instructors during the first Clean Rides for a Clean Ocean at Asbury Park's Surfing Beach at Eighth Avenue on Aug. 24.

Families will also groove to music and giveaways presented by Skull candy, as well as a live surf and skateboard art demo by local artist Ronnie Jackson. Bring your own surfboard, skateboard, bodyboard, or skim board, and Ronnie will work his magic. Postsurf munchies and refreshments will also be provided.

Contact Regina Fernicola, Spellbinders Surf Shop, (732) 531-SURF (7873), for additional information.

At 4 p.m., Clean Ocean Action (COA) will host activities and a presentation beachside where families will learn simple ways they can be the solution to ocean pollution. Participants must have basic swimming skills. Registration will be continuous throughout the day. Registration begins at 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. sharp.

Clean Ocean Action's mission is to improve and protect the marine waters off the New Jersey/New York Coast through research, education and citizen action. COA was founded in 1984 in direct response to the devastating ocean pollution events of the 1980s. Today, COA is a coalition of thousands of citizens dedicated to safeguarding the ocean. Visit www.cleanoceanaction.org for more information.